The Humber
estuary is of international importance for its wintering and migratory bird
populations. It is a key site on the East Atlantic Flyway and is used as a
staging area for waterbirds migrating from arctic and sub-arctic breeding sites
to wintering grounds in southern Europe and Africa.

It is vital for our economy that
industrial growth continues and it is also vital that decisions on how and
where this growth takes places are based on sound evidence in order to ensure
that this growth can proceed alongside the protection of the estuary’s
wildlife riches.

Most information about the
populations of wintering and migratory birds on the Humber estuary is based on
high and low water Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) counts. However, these do not
distinguish overwintering birds from those on passage and therefore cannot give
a complete picture of the way that birds use the estuary. The work of members
the Humber Wader Ringing Group who ring between 500 and 800 birds each winter
is therefore incredibly important in providing information on the connectivity
of sites around the estuary by allowing individual birds to be identified and
their movements tracked.

Humber Nature Partnership's Manager, Darren Clarke said, " Volunteers play a really important role in many aspects of life around the Humber. This ranges from practical work on nature reserves to carrying out ecological surveys which provide us with information about the status of the estuary's wildlife. We're really pleased to recognise the contribution that volunteers play in advancing our knowledge of the estuary's wildlife by presenting our annual award to the Humber Wader Ringing Group."